


Butterflies and Soft Hands

by Urt_the_Assistant



Category: Hockey RPF, Original Work
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Getting Together, High School, LGBT characters, M/M, Original Story - Freeform, Slow Burn, Teenagers, goalies in love, platonic fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-01 16:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10193744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Urt_the_Assistant/pseuds/Urt_the_Assistant
Summary: A story following the conflicts and resolutions of goalies on a high school hockey team.





	1. Andrew and Warren

**Author's Note:**

> This is a spinoff based on my story Broken Sticks and Warm Hearts. Although, you don't need to read that before you read this. Some of the scenes in this are based on actual events that I've been through. All characters except for the NHL players mentioned are owned by me. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!

“Dude what the hell!”  
“Final offer. Deal or no deal.”  
“I said that I’d trade you my Ondrej Pavelec card for it. You said that was fine. No way in hell am I letting you have my Holtbeast card too!”  
“Not my fault Bernier’s such a good goalie. So what’s it gonna be? Pavelec and Holtbeast for Berny, or no deal?”  
“God, you’re terrible at this. No deal.”

Andrew slammed his handful of hockey trading cards on the table, glaring at Warren. Warren gave Andrew a smug grin.

Trading hockey cards was basically a tradition between the two teenagers, as they’ve done it once a month every year for almost four years. On the first Saturday of the month, they’d walk to the store and buy a 32 pack of trading cards, some bottled cokes, and twix bars. Then, they’d walk to the park down the street and trade cards, new and old, for hours.

Andrew and Warren have been close friends for close to five years. They met when Andrew took an interest in hockey, even though Warren is younger than Andrew, causing them to be on different levels. But, ever since they met, they’ve become practically inseparable. They’re like brothers, and they can’t last a day without talking to each other.

You see, Andrew Morrison wasn’t your average hockey-playing teenager. He was one of the oddballs on the team; very short, not exactly skinny, and he dyed his hair a cool pastel shade of turquoise. Another thing about Andrew is that he wasn’t obsessed with girls and/or his looks like most of the other players. Andrew consistently wore dark colored skinny jeans, graphic tees, and vans. The only way you could tell that he’s a fan of hockey is the fact that he always wears merchandise for his favorite NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Not gonna lie, he gets a lot of crap for the way he dresses. 

Also, Andrew didn’t really like girls. He discovered at a young age that girls weren’t really ‘his thing’. So, he likes boys. So what. It’s his business who he likes, and no one else's. 

He’s only told two people ever, and one of those people are Warren. Warren Thornley, or ‘Thorny’ as most people called him, didn’t care. Andrew was like his brother, and he was very accepting about anything and everything.

Acceptance is something that Warren has relied on for practically his whole life. Ever since he was little, he’s lived alone with his father after his mother abandoned them. It’s not something that he likes to talk about, but it’s something that always itches at the back of his mind.

So, that’s why Warren plays hockey. It’s a distraction, and it keeps him from overthinking. Plus, Andrew is always there to keep him grounded. And come on, hockey is great! Sure Warren isn’t the greatest goalie on the team, but he’s decent! Though, he is a lot better than Andrew, even if they both hate to admit it.

Now Warren. Warren is a self proclaimed ladies man. He dresses almost exactly like Andrew does, and has tried flirting with just about every girl at their school. Does it ever work? Nope. Does that stop him from trying? Nope. Whatever.

The two young goalies stared at the cards laid out in front of them, pondering possible transactions. Andrew took a sip of his coke, humming in determination. He picked up a card, reading the player stats on the back, before setting it back down again.

Warren sighed. “Dude. Fine. How about this. I’ll give you my Hampus Lindholm card if you give me your Patrik Laine card.” He picked up the card in question and held it in front of Andrew’s face. Andrew crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at Warren. “I don’t know man, Laine’s kind of a big deal… and he’s hot…” Taunting Andrew, Warren waved the card in his face. “Come on, you know you want him! He’s your favorite defenseman on the Ducks!” Andrew will admit, that’s not a lie. Hampus Lindholm is adorable. WAY more adorable than Patrik Laine.

Groaning, Andrew picked up his Laine card and flicked it at Warren, snatching the Lindholm card out of his fingers before he could even blink. “Wow Thorny, you’re so considerate, trading me my favorite players. What a good friend.”

Warren laughed at that. “Oh man, the sarcasm is strong with this one.”

Andrew kept a straight face but waved his hand dramatically. “Me? Sarcastic? No way.”

Warren slugged Andrew on the shoulder and they both broke out laughing. Andrew slugged him back, and within seconds they were on the grass play-wrestling.

They tackled one another continuously, Andrew eventually pinning Warren to the ground.

Warren shouted, “Oh man dude, come on! You’re gonna mess up my hair!”

Andrew leaned forward and ruffled his hand through Warren’s black hair, messing it up even worse than it was before.

“You’re such a jerk! Get off!”

Andrew grinned and sprawled himself across Warren’s back, pretending to yawn. “I don’t know, man, I’m pretty comfortable right here.”

Defeated, Warren huffed, mentally glaring daggers at Andrew. They stayed sprawled across the grass for about two minutes before Andrew’s phone beeped.

Warren sat up on his elbows the best he could with Andrew still lying on him. “Who is it?”

Andrew shrugged, pulling his phone out of his back pocket. “Probably my mom.”

He typed in the passcode on his phone, and opened the text message. Warren squirmed underneath him. “What’d she say?”

Andrew groaned. “It’s actually from Travis. He asked if I’m going to practice today.”

“God, he’s so stupid. Why wouldn’t you be there?”  
“Exactly!”  
“Can I text him back for you?”  
“Ugh, no. You’d say something stupid, and then he’d like me more than he already does, and then practice would be more awkward than it already is.”

Andrew rolled off of Warren, standing up and brushing himself off. “We should probably get going, anyway. We have to be to the rink in like, an hour.”

Warren stood up, popping his back in the process. “Yeah, you’re right. Your gear still at my place?”

“Pretty sure, yeah. We’ll stop there then head to my place. Dad’ll give you a ride.” Andrew threw away his trash and began collecting his cards.

Warren nodded and followed suit.

As they walked, Warren nudged Andrew and asked, “What’d coach say we’ll be working on today?”

Andrew shifted his cards from one hand to the other and shoved them into his jacket pocket. “If I remember correctly, he’s working with us on transitions and butterfly slides.”  
“Ugh.”  
“I know.”

Since it was only the beginning of the season, Coach Phillips made the entire team review everything they knew. Literally, everything. Sure there was a few newer players on the team, including Andrew, but even he wasn’t THAT bad. He could butterfly and blocker save just fine, thank you. At least he wasn’t like Warren, who has played longer yet still manages to trip over his own leg pads. Seriously Warren, that’s the first thing you learn NOT to do when you become a goalie.

But, oh well. They both would deal with it, because they loved the sport. So, the two goaltenders walked to Warren’s house, huddled together because of the cold breeze, talking nonsense about anything and everything.


	2. Brent and Travis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the nerdy yet charming Brent Phillips, and the cocky and flirtatious Travis Steadman.

Later that evening, Warren and Andrew show up to the rink about an hour early to watch the Ogden Owls practice.

The Ogden Owls are their local Junior League team. When most people hear “junior league”, they think kids. Yeah, well, that’s not how it works in the hockey world. In hockey, a junior league is basically the entry-level league for professional players. So, the Owls are kind of a big deal.

But, the players on this team are some of the nicest players a hockey fan could ever meet. They’re considered to have the best sportsmanship over any other team on their league, and they’re always very enthusiastic and happy to talk to their fans.

And yeah, Andrew looked up to them. He’ll never admit it, but whenever he sees his favorite goalie, Raymond Novak, he freaks out a little. Not his fault that Raymond is attractive AND amazing at goaltending.

But, if you were to ask Andrew who he thinks is the most attractive goalie, he’d respond with Brent Phillips. Sure it would probably take you a million years to get him to answer, but that’s his response. 

Brent Phillips is their coach’s son, and the best high school level goalie in the state of Utah. He’s tall, with flaming red hair that sticks out of the hats he always wears. He’s always wearing hockey t-shirts and jackets, with either sports pants, shorts, or khakis. Basically, he looks like a huge dork, but Andrew thinks he’s perfect.

Which, is one of the reasons Andrew dreads practice three times a week. His biggest fear is doing something stupid in front of Brent and humiliating himself, which, let’s be honest, he’s done it before.

So, that’s why Andrew jumps three feet into the air when he turns and sees Brent sitting next to him, also watching the Owls practice.

“Oh hey Brent! When- when did you get here?”

Brent turned and smiled at Andrew, causing him to turn the slightest shade of red. “About two minutes ago. I’m not surprised you didn’t notice me, you seemed pretty zoned out. You alright?”

Andrew gave him a small smile and turned to watch the Owls again. “Yeah, sorry about that. Just- kinda tired.”

Warren glanced at Andrew with a smirk on his face, nudging him softly. Andrew didn’t look at him, but threw a sharp elbow into his side, causing Warren to double over in pain and laughter.

________________

The whistle blew, and the entire team trudged onto the ice to skate laps. All of the forwards and defensemen were scattered together while the four goalies struggled to keep up thanks to their huge leg pads.

After about five laps, the whistle blew again, and everyone grouped up at center ice to begin warming up. Andrew and Warren always mostly stuck together and did their own warmups alone. But today, that wasn’t the case. Andrew and Warren were in the middle of stretching their thighs when Travis sidled up next to Andrew.

“Hey Silver, did you watch the game last night?”

Andrew glanced at Warren and rolled his eyes before turning to respond to Travis. “Which one?”

“The Canadiens at the Bruins. I mean, it’s only the best rivalry in the NHL.”  
“Sure.”  
“Did you see Tuukka Rask get a slapshot to the face? Oh man, it was sick! It hit him, and like, he totally went DOWN. I’m like, ‘I could take a slapshot to the face like that, no sweat!’ because let’s face it- I could. Don’t get me wrong, Tuukka Rask is a boss goalie, but-”  
“Remember that time we went skating on that outdoor rink and you fell and hit your head so hard that it gave you a concussion?”

At that exact moment, the coach blew the whistle for everyone to gather at the red line at the far end of the rink, and Andrew and Warren stood up and skated off, leaving Travis in their tracks.

Now, the way that Andrew and Warren act towards Travis may SEEM rude and terrible, but really, it’s not. Travis has treated them WAY worse than they’ve ever treated him.

Travis Steadman is about the same height as Warren; he’s not too tall, but he’s not exactly short. He has curly black hair that goes to his shoulders, with freckles covering his cheeks and soft blue eyes. In all actuality, he’s very attractive. But, he’s a total idiot who doesn’t know how to express his feelings. Ask Andrew.

Ever since Andrew met Travis a few years ago, they haven’t gotten along. Travis was constantly trying to talk Andrew out of becoming a goalie by telling him things like “You’re a little too short” or “You’re a little too out of shape” or “It’s too late, you should’ve learned to be a goalie when you were younger”. But, Andrew proved him wrong by working hard, trying out for the high school team, and being accepted as their fourth line goalie.

After that, Travis’s respect for Andrew has gone down the drain, mostly due to the fact that he’s got a lot of competition on his hands. He’s fighting against Brent, Warren, and Andrew to be the first line starter goalie for the team. He hates watching Andrew and Warren improve, because believe it or not, they’re slowly getting to the same level as Travis. But, he hates Brent even more.

Brent has been playing hockey since he could walk. The very moment that he could put on shoes and walk even a foot by himself, his dad bought him a pair of skates and the smallest hockey gear one could buy. Later in life when he was about seven years old, him and his dad would watch reruns of vintage Los Angeles Kings games, and Rogie Vachon became Brent’s greatest idol. So, his parents bought him his first set of goalie gear, and his talents grew and grew for ten whole years to where he is now. Again, he’s ranked as the best high school level goalie in the state of Utah. You gotta admit, that’s pretty awesome!

But to Travis, it’s really not. So, because Travis doesn’t know how to talk to people, AND because he has an ego the size of Alaska, he just ignores Brent entirely and completely. Which also means that he refuses to play backup for Brent.

Also thanks to Travis’s social awkwardness, he has trouble expressing himself. He’ll never admit it, but if you were to search through his brain until you found a list of the people he’s attracted to, Andrew would be on that list. Basically, whenever he thinks he’s acting charming or trying to show off around Andrew, he’s actually being obnoxious and cocky.

So, when Andrew and Warren skate off, he acts like he doesn’t care. Which, actually, he does. Just a little.

But whatever, he can take a hint, can’t he? Obviously Andrew was just mad that the Bruins lost. After all, they ARE one of Andrew’s favorite teams. Maybe he’ll try bringing up the Hurricanes game. Wait, no, they lost to the Panthers last night… That would make Andrew upset for sure. What about the Penguins and Flyers game? No, that game doesn’t even air until next week. Come on Travis, get it together.

So, Travis follows behind, making sure to stand tall and look… Cool? He fails, but everyone on the team is a little too nice to say that.

As Coach Phillips announces the drills that they’re about to do, Andrew tapped Warren on the thigh with his glove, whispering, “Why is he always like that?” Warren tapped his stick to Andrew’s leg pads in response. “Dude, he’s totally infatuated with you. I thought we established that two years ago.”

“Yeah, but like… I’ve dropped every hint possible to make it known that I’m not interested. Why can’t he TAKE a hint?”  
“Well, he is stupid. You’ve said that yourself.”  
“Yeah, fair point. But like, even if I WAS interested, his way of flirting is such a turnoff. I don’t know how the hell he manages to get so many people to go out with him.”  
“I agree, man. He’s gotta be more… I don’t know. Smooth…”  
“That’s coming from the guy who asked out every girl in the school, including the seniors, and got rejected by all of them. Sorry Thorny, but you’re a tragic human being.”

Warren smiled and rolled his eyes, lightly shoving at Andrew as they sprinted to the other side of the rink alongside Brent, Travis, and the rest of their teammates.

________________  
After their long, tiresome practice, Andrew is undoing his equipment and throwing his kneepad at Warren’s face right as Brent asks him a question from the other side of the bench. “Hey are you going to the school dance?”

Andrew internally panicked for about 0.7 seconds before Warren threw Andrew’s kneepad at the back of his head, somehow managing to literally knock some sense into him.

His face flushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, maybe? I don’t know who I’d go with, so…” Brent nodded and clicked his tongue. “I gotcha.” He bent down to finish undoing his leg pads, and Andrew looked around nervously. “What about you? You going with anyone?”

No way was Andrew going to let that conversation be cut short. He took every chance that he could to talk to Brent, and now would not be an exception. Although, Andrew subtly flirts with Brent quite a bit, and he’s not even sure if he likes guys. So, he has to be careful.

So of course, Andrew had a right to be a little nervous about Brent’s answer to his question.

“I don’t know. There’s a few people who I’ve considered asking, but you know how it is. Scared of being rejected…”

Andrew leaned back and crossed his arms. “That’s a feeling I know a little too well.”  
Brent gave a sympathetic smile and turned back to his leg pads. Warren wiggled his eyebrows at Andrew, who shook his head and playfully slugged Warren’s arm.

Who cares that Andrew was totally infatuated with Brent. Who cares if he wished it was him that Brent asked to the dance. Who cares that Andrew wants to kiss Brent and tell him that he’s perfect.

Andrew needed to do something about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all are enjoying it so far! Next chapter will be up soon.


	3. Bryce Jepson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Andrew's hilarious, odd, British mentor, Bryce Jepson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who follow my story Broken Sticks and Warm Hearts, you're going to be meeting a character that shows up a bit later in that story. Keep an eye out for him in later chapters!

“God Bryce, I can’t stand it. Being around him is so awkward and just… I feel like I’ll never get over him. I like him way too much… Is that bad?”  
“It’s not bad, don’t worry. Emotions are kind of tough to deal with at your age. You either barely feel anything, or all of your emotions come at you like explosions.”  
“I wish I barely felt anything… then maybe I wouldn’t be so awkward around him and I could treat him like a regular human being.”  
“Don’t say that. If I hadn’t felt so strongly about Taylor, we wouldn’t be together right now. Don’t give up; you’ve just got to put yourself out there a bit more, get to know him better, and things will add up. Got it?”  
Andrew released a sigh. “Got it. Thanks Bryce.”  
“I’m always here to help you out with that stuff. Except for right now. Can we get back to your lesson?”  
“Right, sorry.”

Andrew skated to the other end of the rink, making sure to twist his shoulders and zig-zag alongside the boards. As he reached the goal line, he dug the middle of his right skate blade into the ice so as to stop but ended up pressing a little too hard, causing his skate to drag and trip him. Stopping was something that Andrew still hasn’t mastered, even after quite a few years of skating.

Bryce skated over to help him up, and Andrew groaned as he stood. “Why can’t I do anything right?” Bryce slapped him on the helmet with his stick. “Don’t get all emotional on me. Stopping is difficult and you know that. Let’s try doing your footwork warm-ups again. Remember, keep your knee OVER your skate, and keep more weight on the leg that you’re not using to stop with.”

 

Bryce Jepson is a defenseman on the Ogden Owls, and one of Andrew’s best friends. He gives Andrew private skating lessons, because while he can goaltend fine, his skating always needs work, and Bryce is just the right person to help him. Andrew looks up to Bryce as an older brother figure and constantly goes to him for advice. And, as you can tell, most of this advice involves Brent.

Luckily for Andrew, Bryce is the right person to talk to about that stuff. He was in the exact same situation as Andrew last year when he met his current boyfriend, Taylor Green. Taylor was also a member of the Owls before he was traded to a team in Florida. Bryce has been a bit more unhappy without Taylor in Utah, but they make do in a long distance relationship. It’s not as bad as between seasons when Taylor is in Kentucky and Bryce is back home in England. Yeah, being in separate countries isn’t fun.

So, Bryce feels sympathetic for Andrew, and tries to help him as much as he can.

By the end of the lesson, Andrew is drenched in sweat, and his limbs feel absolutely dead. Bryce doesn’t know exactly how heavy goalie sticks are. And how thick goalie pads are. And how awkward goalie leg pads are. Bryce just doesn’t know how goalies work. According to Andrew, anyway.

That may or may not be why he “accidentally” trips Bryce as they’re heading off the ice.

And, that may or may not be why Bryce steals Andrew’s goalie mask and writes “I’m a Panthers fan” on it with a whiteboard marker.

“Come on, that’s too far! You know I’m a ‘Canes fan!”  
“So? The Panthers are a great team!”  
“Yeah, but they’re like… Carolina’s top rival.”  
“They’ve got Jaromir Jagr. What’s not to love about him?”  
“He’s old and weird looking.”  
“So?”  
“You have a weird taste in men, Bryce.” Andrew screwed up his nose and pretended to act ‘posh’. “What is WRONG with you British people?”  
Bryce glared at Andrew. “At least I don’t have a huge undying crush on the worst goalie in the NHL.”  
“Eddie Lack is NOT the worst goalie! You take that back!”  
Bryce laughed and grabbed his gear. “In your dreams, Andrew. I’ll see you next week!”

Andrew smiled and shook his head as Bryce left, then grabbed his phone and texted Warren.

Me: Hey Thorny, who do you think is the worst goalie in the league right now?

Thornyboy: You? 

Me: Not our league, idiot. I know that. I meant the NHL.

Thornyboy: Oooooh ok. Um. Ondrej Pavelec

Me: ...Is that why you wouldn’t take my Pavelec card for Bernier

Thornyboy: Hahah yup.

Me: You should’ve just said that!

Thornyboy: But I thought you knew?

Andrew rolled his eyes and turned off his phone. Who even knew anything about the Winnipeg Jets. I mean, come on. Warren probably couldn’t name one player on the Jets besides Patrik Laine, Ondrej Pavelec, and Connor Hellebuyck.

Andrew could. Nikolaj Ehlers. In your face, Warren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support! I hope you enjoy it. Comments, kudos, etc. are much appreciated.


	4. The School Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You guessed it, classic teenage rom-com scene right here. It's not as cheesy as you think. Half the chapter consists of hockey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a long chapter. This one was a lot of fun to write! Hope you enjoy it!

“Alright boys, you know the drill. Get your gear on and meet on our side of the ice in half an hour, no more, no less. Got it?”  
The boys responded with a series of nods and acknowledgments.  
“Good. Don’t forget, these guys have really tough defense. So, forwards, you’re our top priority tonight. Warren, you good to start?”  
“Yeah, but-”  
“Good. Travis, you’re backup. Brent, Andrew, you two alright with being scratched?”  
“Yeah dad.” “Yes, coach.”  
“Perfect. Remember, half an hour. Let’s move!”

It was the third game of the season so far, and they’d already won the first two. Brent had shut out the first team in a 4-0 win, and Travis had won the second game 5-2. They were slowly going down the line of goalies, testing whose skills were most proficient this season, and figuring out who would do best against what teams, all the while making sure that all four goalies had mostly equal opportunities to play.

Warren honestly hated starting games. It put all sorts of pressure on him that he didn’t like. He feels better about playing when he’s a backup for Travis or Andrew and they send him out when the others aren’t doing too well. But, he’d take deep breaths and concentrate, because he loved hockey and he’d do as his coaches said.

Andrew knew this quite well, because Warren tended to basically shut down after being told he was the starter. And it’s obvious that he remembers the team that they’re playing- The Brighton Falcons. Although they haven’t won too many games, they’re one hell of a team. They’re all huge, and they make it well known. That’s why they’ve had the highest amounts of penalty minutes over any team in the league for the last five years. Must be something in the water over there.

But, Andrew does his best to calm Warren down. Making sure he stays hydrated, helping him do up his leg pads, offering kind words, you name it. Andrew’s always there for Warren when he needs him most.

Warren is leaning back with his eyes closed when Andrew wraps an arm around his shoulders. “You’re gonna do great tonight, man.” Warren opened his eyes and looked at Andrew, sighing, “You think so?”

“Yeah dude, I know so.”  
“What makes you so sure?”  
“Well, I know that you don’t entirely suck. So, there’s that.”  
“So inspiring. You should consider becoming a motivational speaker.”  
“Huh, I’ll consider that. But really Warren, you’ll do fine. Just… go out there and be like Peter Budaj.”  
“But… He’s not even on the Kings anymore.”  
“...Okay, then be like Ben Bishop.”  
“You want me to get my teeth knocked out?”  
“Dammit Thorny, that’s not the point. Just go out there and think- uh. Think… Think goalie thoughts.”

Warren stared at Andrew, unamused. “Goalie thoughts? That’s the best thing you can come up with?” Andrew scoffed. “It’s better than nothing! Now shut up and finish putting your gear on. You have ten minutes until you’ve got to be out there for warmups.” Warren shrugged and began putting on his neck guard.

Andrew stood up and left Warren alone. He stood by the doorway and scanned the room. Everyone was either talking about last night’s NHL games, chirping each other, or simply prepping themselves for the game. In the corner, Travis was jabbering off to his cronies about something. Who knows what it was. Probably bragging about how he should be the starter for this game instead of Thorny, Andrew guessed.

Which, if Andrew were to get a little closer and listen, he would’ve known that he’s absolutely correct.

“Why does coach have to put Thorny in against these guys of all teams? They’re one of the funnest teams I’ve ever played! Have you SEEN how hard their shots are?”  
“Dude, for real though! Remember when they broke Silver’s mask? It wasn’t even during the actual game, it was during warmups!”  
“Oh my god, I remember that!”  
“Pfft, that’s why you don’t get masks with cages. You get the cat’s eye masks. They’re more durable.”  
“I thought you had to be eighteen to use a cat’s eye mask?”  
“...Uh, yeah, but my skill level is high enough that I’m fine to use one.”  
“...Makes sense!”

 

Yeah, not really. Travis’s whole group of friends were all complete suckers when it came to anything about goalies. It was stupidly hilarious when Travis would tell them something completely farfetched, and then they’d try to critique Andrew and Warren. They mostly played along, just because they felt sorry for anyone who deals with Travis’s stupidity.

________________

The final score of the game was a solid 2-1 win for Warren. Both team’s defense decided to be amazing, although the other team’s offense was extremely lacking. But, it paid off. 

Even if there were four fights. And Warren’s first penalty. Ever.

Two minutes for roughing. Totally worth it.

In the locker room, one half of the team was hyper, still high on adrenaline, high fiving and yelling in excitement. The other half were bruised or bloody, still breathing heavy after an exhausting game full of hard-working opposing defensemen and fighting.

Warren was a part of the hyper half. He was pumped about his first win of the season, and he had to thank Andrew. Before the game started, he’d watched the opposing team warm up, and despite Andrew calming him down beforehand, his nervousness managed to slowly creep up on him again. It got worse and worse as the minutes on the clock ticked down to the start of the game. As the buzzer sounded off, he skated to his crease and immediately found Andrew in the audience. They met eyes, and almost instantaneously, Andrew motioned for him to breath, and gave a thumbs up.

So, Warren would breath. He’d focus. He would stay aware of his surroundings, watching his teammates, monitoring his opponents, tracking the puck. Sure he got a little feisty near the end after a forward on the other team tipped in the puck thanks to sheer luck, but hey. It’s normal to get mad when you’ve been scored on.

All in all, it was a really good game. Andrew was proud of Thorny and his teammates. Andrew didn’t think he’d ever been lucky enough to be on a team with such amazingly talented, personable, friendly players. Even if he was scratched more games than he’d play, he was still just happy to be there.  
So of course, as soon as Warren got off the ice, he’d jumped off the bleachers and practically tackled him into a hug, throwing his arms awkwardly around Warren’s padded shoulders and resting his forehead on the front of his mask.

“Dude, what a sick game!”  
“I know right!”  
“You even got your first penalty… I’m so proud! I haven’t even gotten a penalty yet!”  
“I know! It was so worth it. I mean, that goal shouldn’t’ve been called. He obviously knocked the net out of place.”  
“Yeah, but oh well! You still won!”  
“Yeah man!”

Right as Andrew pulled away from Warren, Travis walked past and tapped Warren on the back of his helmet with the paddle of his stick. “Nice one, Thorny. Next time, leave the fighting to the guys who know what they’re doing.” Warren turned and glared at Travis as he walked off.

“What a moron.”  
“Ignore him, Warren. He’s trying to get you riled up.”

After Warren packed up all of his gear, him and Andrew were about to walk out of the rink when they heard a shout from behind them. “Hey, Silver, Thorny, hold up!”

They both looked over their shoulders to see Brent running up to them. Warren nudged Andrew and said under his breath, “Aw, he’s chasing after you!” Andrew grit his teeth and whispered, “Dude, shut up.”

After about a second, Brent finally caught up with them, panting. “Oh man, sorry. I hate running.”   
Andrew laughed. “Same… So, what’s up?”

 

Brent straightened his clothes, huffing out a short breath. “I know you said that you only might be going to the dance, but none of my friends will be there, and I was wondering if I could maybe chill with you guys if you go? My parents decided to force me into going, so…”

Andrew’s face flushed a bright red and Warren was trying his best to hide his smile, all the while kicking softly at Andrew’s foot, silently reminding him to respond so that he doesn’t look like an idiot.  
“Oh! That-that’d be awesome! Of course you can hang out with us at the dance. It’ll be fun! You okay with that, Warren?”  
Warren nodded. “Sure! It’d be cool of you to hang with us.”

 

Brent smiled at them. “Thanks you guys. It actually means a lot to me. I hate being alone at dances.”  
Andrew scratched the side of his head. “Yeah, I know how it is.”  
Brent grinned at the two younger teens. “Well, awesome. Thanks again. Text me when you’re there so I can find you?”  
“For sure.”  
“Cool. See you guys tomorrow night!”  
Warren yelled back “Seeya Brent!” as Andrew waved to him.  
They both waited until he was out of earshot before Warren dropped his gear and grabbed Andrew by the shoulders.  
“Dude. Tomorrow is your chance. You HAVE to ask him to dance with you.”  
“I don’t even know if he likes dudes!”  
“So? Now’s your chance to find out!”  
“Yeah, but like… What if he gets all weird about it?”  
“Then you know that he’s a homophobic blockhead that you probably shouldn’t date. Simple.”  
Andrew thought for a moment. “Or… I could ask him to dance as friends? You know, like we do?”  
“Dude, holy crap. That could work.”  
“Exactly.”  
“You totally got this.”  
“Hell yeah, man.”

________________

What in the world was Andrew supposed to wear. He had a ton of dress shirts and ties, but still. What the hell was he supposed to wear. 

No matter what, nothing seemed to look right on him. This shirt was too baggy, that shirt was too tight, this tie is too short, that tie is too flashy. Not even his classic white button up and black tie looked decent. Nothing. Worked.  
Which is why he texted Warren in all caps saying, “COME OVER RIGHT NOW I WILL EXPLODE”, resulting in him showing up approximately two and a half minutes later.

“Damn Thorny, that’s a new record. Why can’t you be that fast on the ice?”  
“Ha ha, very funny. I figured that this has something to do with the dance. Am I wrong?”  
“You’re absolutely correct. I don’t know what to wear.”

Warren gestured to his own getup, which was a black dress shirt and bright red vest, along with pinstripe slacks and a godawful pair of hideous white dress shoes. “You gotta dress like me. It’ll woo the ladies for sure.”

Andrew sighed and crossed his arms. “Warren, we both know I’m not trying to ‘woo ladies’. And even if I was, no way in hell would I dress like that.”

Warren paused and looked down at his clothes. “....whatever. Let’s go upstairs and see what your options are.”

________________

After a good fortyfive minutes of trying on just about everything in Andrew’s wardrobe, they finally managed to settle on the perfect outfit. It consisted of a black, loose-fitting dress shirt with a white tie, black skinny jeans, and a pair of black dress shoes that looked formal, yet casual at the same time.  
Andrew finished doing his hair up like he usually does- slicked back and to the right- before following Warren outside to walk to the public bus stop by their houses.

As they walked, Andrew’s stomach grew tighter and tighter. He was going to the dance. WITH BRENT. Well, not as a date, but still. He was going to the dance with Brent. What would he even say to him? What would they talk about? Would Brent try dancing with anyone? If so, who? Would he ask-

“Hey man, are you alright?”

Andrew jumped at the sound of Warren’s voice. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, I’m just… really nervous, you know?”

“You don’t have anything to be nervous about. Remember? You’re gonna ask him to dance as friends.”  
“Yeah, but you know I wish we were more than ‘just friends’. I still don’t know if he likes guys for christ sakes!”  
Warren sighed. “I know, but tonight is the perfect time to find out. Just breath. You still have a chance with him for now, okay? Just think positive and be yourself. The worst he can do is say that he doesn’t like guys.”  
“Are you sure about that?”  
Warren turned to Andrew and smiled. “We both know I usually suck with this kind of stuff. But… There’s something about you two together that just seems right. So, yes. I’m positive about everything I’ve said.”  
Andrew smiled and slung an arm around Warren’s shoulders. “I couldn’t ask for a better best friend. Thanks Thorny.”

“Anytime, Silver.”

________________

The dance is basically just like any other stereotypical high school dance. The music is booming, people are dancing and socializing, and teachers are watching the students like hawks in every corner of the room.

And, it’s intimidating as all hell for Andrew. The crowd is almost entirely made up of popular kids and jocks, which leaves Andrew and Warren to stand off to the side. As per usual. They’re there for about five minutes when Warren grabs Andrew’s shoulder to remind him to text Brent, because no way in hell would they be able to find him in this crowd alone. So, Andrew whips out his phone, and shakily texts Brent, “Hey, we’re here. Far corner by the dj booth. Can’t miss us”. 

About three minutes later, they spot Brent pushing his way between the large groups of dancing teenagers, slightly frustrated. The very second Andrew noticed him, his chest tightened up and he had to remind himself to breath. Because, let’s face it, Andrew’s a little dramatic.

He totally doesn’t blush madly when Brent finally reaches them and immediately ruffles up Warren’s hair. Totally not.  
He’s totally fine. Yep. One hundred percent. Not his fault that Brent looks really good in vests. Specifically, white vests over black dress shirts.

So what if their outfits match! So what! Brent didn’t know what Andrew would wear, and Andrew didn’t know what Brent would wear. It’s not their faults!

So what if Andrew’s putting a little too much thought into simply hanging out with Brent at the dance. So. What.

So, Andrew snaps out of it, smiles, and says, “Hey Brent.” Short and sweet. Perfect.

Brent grinned at Andrew, running a hand through his perfect red hair. “Hey Silver! Nice tie.”  
“Oh, thanks! I like your vest. It looks good on you.”  
Brent gave a small laugh. “You think so? I don’t like it too much, but thanks!”

Andrew caught Warren smirking at the two of them over Brent’s shoulder. He is SO stealing Warren’s skates and hiding them during their next practice. 

After about a split second of intimidating silence, the DJ announced that the next dance would be a slow song. Specifically, boys choice, since dates weren’t required.

Brent turned around to scan the sea of teenagers, looking for... someone. “You guys mind if I ditch for this song? There’s someone I wanted to ask to dance.”

Warren immediately responded before Andrew could even try to choke out a response. “Yeah sure, go ahead. Me and Silver might join you out there.” Brent smiled, waved, and walked off.

Warren turned to Andrew. “Hey, no big deal. You wanna ask someone to dance?”  
“I don’t know… There’s no one else to dance with, really.”  
“You sure? What about Jacie? She didn’t come with anyone.”  
“Yeah, but…”  
Warren sighed. “How about-”

Out of nowhere, Travis strolled up behind Andrew and tapped his shoulder. “Hey Silver, you mind if I have this dance?”

Andrew immediately froze up. “Um… I guess.”

This wouldn’t be the first time that Travis has asked Andrew to dance. In fact, it probably wouldn’t be the last. But, it was always extremely awkward and frustrating for Andrew. Travis would always ramble on about something to do with how good looking he was, or how good of a goalie he was. Then again, not entirely surprising.

But whatever. At least Andrew might get to see who Brent asked to dance with.  
So, he took Travis’s hand and followed him onto the dance floor. Glancing back, he noticed Warren glaring at the two of them. “Sorry,” he mouthed. Warren just shrugged and walked off to find someone to dance with.

For some odd reason that Andrew couldn’t figure out, Warren utterly and completely despised Travis. Whenever someone even mentions his name, Warren’s mood immediately turns sour. Every time Andrew tries to ask Warren about it, he just shakes his head and changes the subject. It’s odd, really.

This is probably why Andrew feels an odd pang of regret. Maybe he should’ve told Travis no? Oh well. He may not like Travis very much, but it was his choice who he danced with, right?

 

Once they reached the dancefloor, Travis immediately took over and placed his arms around Andrew’s waist and pulled him close. Andrew reluctantly put his hands on Travis’s shoulders and took a small step back, his face going the slightest shade of red. 

Dancing with Travis was seriously the most awkward, mildly embarrassing thing that Andrew’s ever done. He always felt like everyone was staring at them, because he was dancing with TRAVIS. One of the most popular jocks at their school. Dancing with him. One of the biggest geeks at their school. He had a right to feel awkward, okay.

So of course, as they began to sway along to the music, Andrew kept his head down the slightest bit, hoping no one would notice him. Travis noticed this and furrowed his eyebrows. “Hey Silver, you alright?”  
Andrew looked up at Travis and gave him a half smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just not a huge fan of dances.”  
Travis grinned at Andrew. “Aw, dude, why not? You get to dance with hot people! And you get to chill with your friends and gossip about who’s going out with who and all that jazz. Dances are great!”  
“Yeah, well. I’m not the most social person.”  
Travis made a face. A thinking face? Who knows. It was just. A face. “Right, you only really hang out with Thorny…”  
“Yeah. I don’t have too many other friends.”  
Travis nodded and Andrew thought of something mildly malicious. “Well. Lately Brent and I have been getting a little closer.” It was barely true, but oh well. A little exaggeration never hurt anyone. Right?

Almost immediately Travis scowled. “Oh.”  
It worked. “Speaking of Brent, there was someone he wanted to dance with. Can we maybe… look for him? I’m curious as to who it was.”  
Travis’s face broke out into several different emotions, ranging from confusion, to annoyance, to relief. It was honestly hilarious on Andrew’s part.

Eventually, Travis managed to stutter out, “Oh- uh. Y-yeah sure. Cool.”  
Andrew threw him a smile. “Thanks.”

 

Travis gently tugged on Andrew’s waist as they danced through the crowd to the other side of the dancefloor. As Andrew looked around for Brent, he became a little anxious. He’d never seen Brent date anyone, let alone dance with anyone, so he was determined to see exactly who Brent was into.

Plus, it would determine if they even had a chance together. 

After about a minute of searching, Andrew spotted him. He was dancing with… who was that? If they would just turn the slightest bit-

As if they could read Andrew’s mind, Brent and whoever he was dancing with turned so that they were parallel with Andrew and Travis. It was…

“Oh my god. It’s Nikita.”

Travis looked to where Andrew was staring. “Huh? What about Nikita?”  
Andrew nodded his head at the two older teens. “Dude. He’s dancing with Brent.”  
Travis finally caught on and his eyebrows immediately shot up. “Oh. Wow. Never thought Brent would be into guys like HIM.”  
Andrew snapped his gaze to Travis. “Wait, what?”  
“Yeah, Brent’s mostly into people who’re smaller than him, especially when it comes to dudes. Didn’t think he’d ever go after bigger guys.”  
“So… what you’re telling me is Brent is like… into dudes?”  
“Yeah. He’s pansexual. I thought you knew?”  
“Travis, I didn’t have a clue.”  
“Oh, damn… Well, I guess I should tell you that I actually dated Brent for a little while.”  
If ‘question mark’ was an emotion, that’s how Andrew would be feeling. Travis… and Brent? No wonder they didn’t get along.

Andrew had to take a moment to think of a response, because how the hell do you respond to finding out that the guy you hate and the guy you’re practically in love with used to date each other?

Eventually, Andrew shook his head and asked, “Seriously? For how long?”  
Travis shrugged. “About a month. It was a nice relationship too, we got along pretty well.”  
“What ended it?”  
Travis sighed. “Well… he said I talk about hockey a little too much.”  
“...Oh.”  
“Yeah.”

After about five seconds of awkward silence, the song ended, and all of the dancing pairs split apart. Travis let go of Andrew and scratched the back of his neck. “Thanks for the dance.”  
Andrew nodded and smiled. “Yeah, of course.”

Travis smiled and gave a wave before heading off to his friend group. Andrew turned to walk back to the corner to hang out with Warren.

Maybe, just maybe, Andrew had grown a bit of a newfound respect for Travis.

________________

Warren was all over Andrew once he returned.

He threw his hands onto Andrew’s shoulders, looked him in the eye, and practically interrogated him.

“Dude. Did he hurt you?”  
“Nope.”  
“Did he insult you?”  
“Surprisingly, no.”  
“Did he make you feel uncomfortable?”  
“When don’t I feel mildly uncomfortable around him?”  
“Good point. Did you see who Brent danced with?”  
Andrew threw a glance over his shoulder, making sure Brent wasn’t anywhere closeby. “Dude, he was dancing with Nikita.”  
Warren’s eyebrows shot up. “Nikita? Of all people? Wow… Well, you know what this means right?”  
Andrew nodded. “Uh, yeah. And… I found out something else.”  
Warren let go of Andrew. “What is it?”  
“You’re never gonna believe this, but… Travis and Brent used to date.”  
Andrew watched Warren process what he said for about two full seconds before he narrowed his eyebrows at Andrew. “You’re joking.”  
“Nope. Travis told me.”  
“Dude… That actually makes so much sense, it’s not even funny.”  
“I know.”  
Warren sighed and softly elbowed Andrew. “Well. At least we know that you’ve got a chance with Brent.”  
“Not entirely. I don’t know how close he is with Nikita… I mean, they were really close, and-”  
“Hey guys, what’s up?”

Andrew just about jumped out of his skin, and Warren laughed. “Oh my god Slinger, give us a warning next time, would you?” Warren glanced at Andrew and noticed that he had frozen up and gone pale. “Anyway, who’d you dance with?”  
Brent smiled at them. “Ah, well. If I told you, you’d laugh.”  
Warren softly elbowed Andrew, who shook his head and smiled. “Yeah, you can tell us.”  
Brent rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. “I danced with Nikita. I know that sounds odd, but. Yeah. He’s just really handsome.”

 

Andrew was internally screaming at this point. But hey, there wasn’t really anything he could do about it. Brent was allowed to like whoever he likes. If Andrew really did like him, he’d be respectful.

But he definitely wasn’t prepared when Warren blurted out, “Dude, awesome! You know, Andrew likes dudes too.”

Are friend divorces a thing? If so, Andrew is SO calling for one against Warren. Because seriously, dude. You don’t just out people like that.

Brent turned to Andrew and grinned. “Dude, I didn’t know that! What a coincidence. Three goalies on the same team that are a part of that community… That’s pretty cool, if you ask me.”  
Andrew’s face flushed a soft shade of red. “For sure, yeah.”  
Brent smiled and slung an arm around Andrew’s shoulder. “Well Silver, if you ever need advice or anything, I’m here for you.”

 

At this point, Andrew’s insides were just… exploding with butterflies. All he managed to choke out was, “Thanks, Slinger. I appreciate it.” Warren had the most smug look on his face.

________________

The rest of the dance went by pretty smoothly. Brent danced with Nikita during all the slow dances, much to Andrew’s chagrin. But, Andrew and Warren danced together only once- a new record on Warren’s part. He actually managed to dance with a few girls for once in his life.

Andrew mostly just stayed in their little corner and thought about anything and everything. In between slow dances, he would chat with Warren and Brent, nervously adding comments to their conversations. He decided to shut up and remain the neutral party when they brought up the Los Angeles Kings and their goalie trades. Brent just about punched Warren when he said that Budaj was better than Quick. Andrew wasn’t sure how Brent would react if he told him that he thought Bishop was better than Quick. THAT would be a nightmare.

So, all in all, Andrew had a decent time. On the bus ride home, Warren kept a smug look on his face, and Andrew wanted to punch him. But hey, if it wasn’t for Warren, he probably wouldn’t have even talked to Brent. So, he’s gotta give him some credit. After all, what are friends for?


	5. The Ogden Owls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren and Andrew go to an Ogden Owls game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter. Enjoy!

The weekend after the dance, Andrew and Warren could be found where they were every weekend- at an Ogden Owls game. It was only a few weeks into the new season, and so far, the new roster was absolutely amazing. Their forwards were mostly veterans on the team, their defensemen were fresh and new, but in a good way. They had the same amazing starter goalie, along with his two backups that were just about as good as he was.

So, the Owls fans had every reason to be pumped about this season.

Today’s game was against the Bozeman Rattlers. They didn’t have the greatest stats, but whatever. It was always fun watching the Owls crush other teams.

Which is exactly why Andrew and Warren show up with temporary tattoos of the Owls logo on their cheeks, along with their big, matching Owls jerseys that they won in an auction a few years back. (The jerseys are Raymond Novak’s game worn jerseys. It was so expensive and so worth it.)

As soon as they bought their tickets, they fist-bumped the Owls mascot, Owen, and quickly ran to their reserved seats on the far third row.

“Dude, I’m so pumped!”  
“Me too! Who do you think is gonna be the starter?”  
“My bet’s on Novak. They always play him on Fridays, Lindman on Saturdays, and if both of those games are won, they play Alarie on Sundays..”  
“Dude… how’d you figure that out?”  
“It’s called observation, Thorny. Not that hard.”  
“Well yeah, but like-”  
Andrew gave Warren a look.  
“Whatever, man. You’re obsessed.”  
“I’m not the one who’s constantly pining over Marinelli!”  
“Hey, he’s the one dude that I find attractive! You’re the one who pines over half the team!”  
“Sure, but you pine over one guy more than I’ve ever pined over any combination of players.”  
“We said ‘pine’ so much that it doesn’t even sound like a real word.”  
“So?”  
“So shut up!”

Andrew shook his head and shoved at Warren. Thorny was awful at making arguments. It doesn’t matter because Andrew totally won. Yep.

And Warren would hardly admit it, but he really did have a major crush on the short redhead defenseman, Ryker Marinelli. Not his fault that the dude was attractive and amazing. Warren would constantly argue that Ryker was the best fighter on the team- which in fact, he was. After having Andrew do some math, they came to the conclusion that Ryker got into approximately one fight every four games, which is pretty damn impressive. Totally explains why his nickname is ‘Bloody Marinelli’.

Who cares if Warren was screaming “I LOVE YOU RYKER” while the players stepped onto the ice. (Andrew cares, since it’s hilarious, but that’s different, okay?)

And, who cares if Andrew jumped around like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert when he saw Raymond Novak? Who cares? Raymond is boss. He’s scruffy and handsome, as well as an amazing goaltender. Flashback to the game where there was a line brawl and the other team started screaming at him in French, and he skated out to the faceoff circle and spat French right back at them. Andrew was literally crying because it was such. An awesome. Game.

So, who knew what this game would have in store. Every Owls game was a mystery.

________________

By the end of the game, Warren and Andrew were on their feet, yelling. Not in frustration, but excitement. They both could argue that that game was one of the most exciting Owls games that they’d seen in a long while.

During the first period, some guy came straight at Bryce, and what did Bryce do? He ducked down just as the guy hit him, and flipped him over his shoulders, head over heels. It was pretty damn impressive.

During the second period, no one on the team was doing anything right. Literally, no one except for Raymond. Sure they kept the puck on the opposite end of the ice, but they kept missing their passes and losing their scoring chances. Raymond became so frustrated, that he began banging his stick on the ice. It’s a fairly normal for goalies to do, that is, until Raymond managed to snap his stick in half. Andrew, being the overdramatic geek that he is, probably swooned.

Last but not least, during the third period, one of the captains, John Finlay, got into a huge fight with one of the Rattlers. It was right off the faceoff; puck was dropped, gloves were off. Sure it only lasted about ten seconds before Johnny dropped the opposing player with a single punch to the face, but it was still one hell of a brawl. Not many people would suspect Johnny, of all players, to start a fight.

As Andrew and Warren walked out, they chatted about the game.  
“Dude, that was so sick! I wish more of their games were like that!”  
“I know right! That was so intense. Think we’ll sweep these guys?”  
“Well, considering the fact that we beat them 8-3, I’m gonna say yes.”  
“Oh hell yeah. So, you think they’ll have Lindman in net tomorrow?”  
“If they follow the pattern, then yes.”  
“Dude, sick. He’s so gorgeous.”  
“I thought you were only interested in Ryker?”  
“Yeah, but- Alrik is hot, okay? He’s just... good looking.” Warren sighed dreamily.  
“And I thought I was the gay one.”  
“You are! It’s just- oh, shut up.”

Andrew mischievously grinned in triumph. Warren huffed and crossed his arms. 

The two young goalies huddled close, matching jerseys pressed together. It was a cold, dark night, but they walked home under the beautiful starry sky for the hell of it.

________________

“Dude, did you see that goal?”  
“Oh my god, yeah! Totally not surprising, it IS Sidney Crosby that we’re talking about.”  
“I know, but still! It’s like he’s trying to play baseball or something. It’s not often that you see players hitting the puck out of mid-air.”  
“For real… goalies worst nightmare.”  
“Poor Ryan Miller. He probably feels like an idiot after letting that in.”  
“Oh yeah, it’s inevitable.”

Andrew and Warren did this quite often. They’d skype each other on their laptops while watching NHL games, and together they’d criticize anything and everything that the players did. And tonight, the game they were watching was the Vancouver Canucks at the Pittsburgh Penguins. And like every Pens game, it was… intense. Especially since they had guys like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Matt Murray… the list goes on. The Canucks had… Well, they had the Sedin twins and Bo Horvat. That’s about it.

But, Andrew and Warren would always take sides and try to convince the other why or how their team was playing better. Although, it was a mutual agreement that the number of goals scored wasn’t a factor that would count toward their team's’ status. 

So, it was a bit difficult for Warren to find what the Canucks were doing right.  
“Well, as usual, the Sedins are playing together.”  
“Uh, duh. Coach Willie would never separate them.”  
“Pretty sure the day that happens, the world will end.”  
“Exactly. I mean, the one goal that Henrik scored, Daniel got an assist.”  
“I checked the stats for last night’s Canucks game against the Flyers. Daniel scored a goal, and of course, there was an assist from Henrik.”  
“Not surprising.”  
“I know.”

 

But of course, it was easy for Andrew to find what the Penguins were doing right.

“I mean. Crosby scored two goals. And got an assist.”  
“Well, yeah.”  
“Sheary assisted both goals.”  
“Mildly surprising.”  
“Not really. Justin Schultz managed to get a goal.”  
“Schultzy, huh? Wow.”  
“I know.”  
“Is Olli still injured?”  
“Yep.”  
“That’s like… the third time this season!”  
“I know!”

After about fifteen more minutes, the game ended with the Penguins winning 4-1, and they both eventually shut off skype, and went to sleep.

Well. Andrew didn’t sleep, but he got in bed. He stared at the big Eddie Lack poster he had in the corner of his room, and just. Thought. 

He thought about everything, really. He thought about Brent. Warren. Travis. His goaltending. The Hurricanes and how they’ve been playing recently. The comic books that Bryce lent to him. Star Wars. Playing instruments. Basically, everything.

So, he couldn’t sleep.

But, after a good while of letting his mind wander, he grew tired, and drifted into a deep, calming sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I seriously appreciate you reading this, and I hope you like it. Comments and Kudos are always appreciated. Come talk to me on tumblr at gay-4-goalies.


End file.
